be like me...

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...




...then the Japanese are a very modest, yet very flattering people i suppose.

i think ppl mostly associate cheap knock-off/replica clothing items with countries like Vietnam/Thailand/China etc...so i didn't expect to see a lot of that sorta stuff here in Japan. well, maybe it's an "asian" thing b/c low and behold...we still had it. still, i found the japanese imitations to be more tasteful, and they weren't really trying to duplicate designer labels per se...more like, imitate them in a tongue-in-cheek/stylish sort of way. i prefer that a lot more (not sure about the copyright/legal stuff); don't try and be something you're not, but take what's good and make it your own.


this one was from one of those stores that didn't let you try t-shirts on (jackets/pants/zip-up/button-up shirts are ok though)...so i was hesitant to bother buying something from them...but they were real nice and tried to be helpful buy suggesting a size, draping the shirt over my shoulders to size it up etc...and ultimately this t-shirt was one "original" to their shop (or so they said...i think they were telling the truth. i didn't see it anywhere else...and i've been to a lot of shops =P) so i bought it for something like 3000yen


(from Amemura "America Village" in Osaka's Shinsaibashi - Namba district)